Film reel shipping container



April 29,1969 M. GOLDBERG 3,441,128

FILM REEL SHIPPING CONTAINER v/ g Z /4 FIG. 5. X X F 10. 2. f5 f2 1 INVENTOR- I f/ A MORRIS GOLDBERG 7 m A BY FIG. 3. @1 w??? April 29, 1969 M, GOLDBERG 3,441,128

FILM REEL SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Jan. 3, 1968 INVENTOR. MORRIS GOLDBE RG United States Patent 3,441,128 FILM REEL SHIPPING CONTAINER Morris Goldberg, Denver, Colo., assignor to Goldberg Brothers, Inc., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Jan. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 696,272 Int. Cl. B65h 55/02; B65d 45/28; Ec 5/02 US. Cl. 206-52 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a combination shipping container and carrying case for reels of motion picture film. The unit is characterized by a molded fiberboard body having truncated corners and a hinged lid therefor that provides handles at said truncated corners that also constitute guardrails for the latches mounted at these points. Novelty also resides in a unique type of depressible swinging-pin latch, a pair of which are employed to releaseably fasten the hinged lid in closed position on the body.

Film rental agencies, the marketing outlets of the motion picture studios, advertisers, television stations and many other businesses have frequent need of a shipping container and carrying case to transport or mail reels of motion picture film from place-to-place. In some instances, the film constitutes merely a print taken from a master but, not infrequently, the master itself must be mailed or otherwise transported to a distant location without being damaged. In either instances, the film is an expensive, and oftentimes irreplaceable, commodity that must be carefully protected against damage during shipment and handling. At the same time, the cost of the shipping containers therefor is significant because each reel or small series thereof must, under ordinary circumstances, be shipped separately and an adequate supply thereof has to be available for this purpose.

Consistent with the above requirements, the shipping container must be rugged enough to withstand reuse over and over again and provide a reliable, yet easily operated, latch requiring no key or other tool that can become lost or misplaced. The latch mechanism is of utmost importance because it must be one that is easy to figure out and operate by the average user while, at the same time, being able to withstand considerable abuse without releasing accidentally.

It has now been found in accordance with the teaching of the instant invention that these and other requirements of a shipping container for film reels can be accomplished by providing a molded protective case having truncated corners carrying the latch mechanisms and protecting the latter with guardrails that perform the additional function of carrying handles. The latches themselves are also unique in that they need only be pressed and turned about 30 or so to release the lid and this can be simply and rapidly accomplished by grasping the carrying handles while actuating both latches simultaneously with the thumbs. The latches cannot be turned without first being depressed and depressing them alone will not effect a release of the lid. One latch alone is sufiicient to keep the lid in closed position which is an additional safety feature because, if by some rare circumstance, one should be opened accidentally or be left open, the chances of this same happenstance causing the other to open is so remote a possibility as to not be worth worrying about.

The handle-forming guardrails around the latches not only prevent them from accidental actuation but, in addition, prevent damage thereto under conditions of rough handling. These latches are essentially jam-proof and this is important because the contents of the container re- "ice main easily accessible even though one or both of the latches may be damaged.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved shipping container for motion picture film reels.

A second objective of the invention herein disclosed and claimed is the provision of a protective carrying case for film reels and the like.

Another object is to provide a unit of the class aforementioned that includes a novel swinging-pin spring latch.

Still another objective is the provision of a reel holder wherein the lid latch mechanisms are mounted on the truncated corners of the case and protected from damage by handle-forming guardrails.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a molded fiberboard or plastic carrying case wherein the several elements thereof remain, at all times, in assembled relation to produce a unitary structure.

Further objects are to provide a combination carrying case and shipping container for film reels and the like that is rugged, lightweight, easy to operate, essentially jam-proof, versatile, compact, inexpensive and decorative.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings that follows, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of the film reel shipping container in closed position, portions thereof having been broken away and shown in section to better reveal the interior construction;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing the latch mechanism in detail;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1 revealing the details of the mailing label pocket;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view to an enlarged scale showing one of the latch mechanisms;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section to an enlarged scale showing the hinged connection between the lid and body;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view showing the container in fully-open position;

FIGURE 7 is a section taken along line 77 of FIG- URE 1; and,

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section to an enlarged scale taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 1 showing further details of one of the lid latches.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the present invention and, initially, to FIGURES 1 and 2 for this purpose, reference numeral 10 has been employed to designate the shipping container in its entirety which will be seen to include a body 12, a lid 14 attached to the body by hinge 16, and a pair of identical spring latches that have been indicated in a general way by numeral 18. The body 12 of the container is generally in the form of an open-topped shallow rectangular box except that the rear corners 20 thereof adjacent hinge 16 are rounded While the front corners 22 remote from said hinge are severely truncated at about a 45 angle. The bottom 24 of the body 12 is essentially planar except for a shallow integrally-formed rectangular depression 26 therein that is sized to receive a shipping label and returnaddress card. The bottom is bordered along its entire periphery by an upstanding integrally-formed rim that defines a rear wall 28, sidewalls 30, a front wall 32, and angularly-disposed wall portions 34 interconnecting the front and sidewalls along the truncated corners. The overall depth of the body is approximately equal to the thickness of the film reel to be housed therein and the horizontal spacing between the opposite wall portions is slightly greater than the diameter thereof.

The entire wall-forming rim is essentially perpendicular to the bottom 24 except for a pair of transverselyspaced shallow arcuate depressions 36 integrally-formed in the front wall 32 that form fingerholds. These fingerholds terminate short of the bottom so as to leave undercut ledges 38 (FIGURES 6 and 7) that are easily grasped by the user to facilitate lifting the lid free of the body.

The lid 14 has much the same overall shape as the body over which it fits, the top 40 being planar and bordered by an integrally-formed downturned rim that is somewhat shallower yet defines a front wall 42, rear Wall 44, sidewalls 46 and angularly-disposed wall portions 48 extending along the truncated front corners. Matching arcuate depressions 50 are provided in the front wall 42 which mate, as shown in FIGURE 1, with the analagous depressions 36 in the front wall of the body. Due to the shallow nature of the rim on the lid, the free edge thereof terminates short of the ledges 38 adjacent the bottom of the body as can be seen in FIG- URE 7. The depressions 50 in the lid, on the other hand, are shown in FIGURES 1 and 6 as extending all the way to the top 40 thereof.

Next, with reference to FIGURES l, 5, 6 and 7, it will be seen that the hinge 16 is of the conventional type although slightly longer than the ordinary door hinge. One leaf 52 thereof is secured by rivets 54 to the outside surface of the rear body wall 28 while the other leaf 56 is similarly fastened to the inside of the rear lid wall 44. Thus, the front and rear walls of the lid must be spaced apart a distance sufiicient to accommodate hinge leaf 56 interposed between the corresponding rear walls of the body and lid. Both the body and lid are preferably molded as one-piece unitary structures out of fiberboard or plastic although they could, obviously, be formed from metal.

In FIGURES 1, 3, 6 and 7, it will be noted that the mailing label recess 26 is overlaid by an open rectangular frame 58 which covers both the top and bottom margins as well as one side margin thereof while leaving the other side margin exposed to receive a shipping label or card slipped beneath said frame. The inside margins of the frame all lie well within the perimeter of the depression 26 so as to overlay the edges of a card sized to fit therein; whereas, the outer margins of said frame extend considerably beyond the covered portions of the depressions peripheral edge to receive the fasteners 60. The edge of the frame adjacent and parallel to the uncovered edge of the depression is, of course, left unfastened so that the card can be slipped into place therebeneath.

Finally, with particular reference to FIGURES 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, the latch subassemblies 18 along with their protective guardrails 62 will be described in detail. Riveted to the outside surfaces of angularly disposed wall portions 34 of the body 12 are a pair of generally L-shaped catches that include a vertically-disposed stern portion 64 having a horizontal leg 66 projecting forwardly from the bottom edge thereof that terminates in a downwardly-opening channel-shaped end portion 68, A narrow gap 70 is left between the adjacent angularlydisposed wall portions of the lid and body to accommodate the stem portion 64 that lies flush against the latter. These catches are preferably offset on the angularly-disposed wall portions 34 toward the front wall 32 so as to leave the centered position clear for the remainder of the latch and also to facilitate actuating the latter with a natural thumb motion.

Centered on the outside of angular wall portions 48 are the block-like latch mountings 72 that have a vertical opening 74 therethrough enlarged at the top to form a cylindrical spring seat 76. The bottom surface 78 of block 72 is substantially coplanar with the top of the downwardly-opening groove in channel-shaped end portion 68 of the catch. Mounted for vertical reciprocating motion within the opening 74 in the block 72 is an L- shaped pin 80, the horizontal leg 82 of which seats in the groove of the channel-shaped end on the catch while,

at the same time, resting against the bottom 78 of said block. A small compression spring 84 (FIGURE 2) surrounding the reciprocating leg of the latch pin rests on the bottom of the spring seat 76 and presses against the head 86 of the latch pin to bias the latter towards the latched position thereof shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 8, and by full lines 1.1 FIGURE 4. Upon depression of head 86 to compress spring 84, the horizontal leg 82 of the latch pin is freed from the groove in the catch; whereupon, twisting the head through an angle of 30 or so with the thumb will move the latch pin into its released position shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 4. This operation is performed quite simply by grasping the curved guardrails 62 that extend from the sidewalls 46 of the lid around the front of the latch subassemblies 18 to the front wall 42 threof and placing the thumbs of both hands atop the latch-pin heads. Then a simple press and twist with both thumbs simultaneously, releases both latches so that the lid can be raised.

In the particular form shown, guardrails 62 are formed integral with the lid rim and generally conform in shape to the rounded rear corners thereof. These guardrails, being open both top and bottom, provide excellent handles with which to carry the shipping container. Note in FIGURES 2 and 8 that the L-shaped latch pin lies completely within the horizontal planes containing the top and bottom edges of the guardrails so that articles laid on either the top or bottom of the container are not likely to contact, yet alone actuate, same. In a similar manner, the guardrails provide excellent protection to the latch subassemblies, against a corner below, the latter being the most frequent of those encountered.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features of the film reel shipping container of the present invention, it will be apparent that the several worthwhile objectives for which it was developed have been achieved.

What is claimed is:

1. The shipping container for reeled articles and the like which comprises: a shallow open-topped generally rectangular box-like body having a bottom bordered by an upstanding integral rim that defines front and rear walls, sidewalls and angularly-disposed wall portions interconnecting said front and sidewalls to produce a pair of truncated corners; an open-bottomed inverted box-like lid having a top surrounded by a downturned rim defining front and rear walls, sidewalls and angularly-disposed wall portions adapted to telescope down over the rim of the body and cooperate with the top to form a closure therefor; hinge means interconnecting the rear walls of the body and lid for relative pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between open and closed positions; latch means mounted on the truncated corners operative upon actuation to releasably fasten the lid in closed position on the body; and, arcuate guardrails extending from the sidewalls of the lid around the outside of the latch means to the front wall of said lid so as to enclose the truncated corners thereof and protect said latch means, said guardrails also defining carrying handles for the container.

2. The shipping container as set forth in claim 1 which: the guardrails comprise integral extensions of the front and sidewalls of the lid.

3. The shipping container as set forth in claim 1 in which: the bottom of the body has a shallow rectangular recess formed therein adapted to receive a shipping label; and, an open-rectangular frame is fastened to the bottom of the body in position to cover both sides and one end of said rectangular depression while leaving the other end accessible to have a shipping label slipped therebeneath, the inside margins of said frame lying spaced inside the corresponding margins of said depression and forming means adapted to retain a shipping label recessed therein.

4. The shipping container as set forth in claim 1 in which: the front walls of the body and lid are provided with mating arcuate depressions, said depression in the lid extending all the way to the top thereof, and said depression in the body terminating short of the bottom so as to cooperate therewith in defining an overchanging ledge adapted to form a fingerhold.

5. The shipping container as set forth in claim 1 in which: the latch [means includes a generally Lshaped catch having the vertical stem portion thereof fastened to the outside surface of the angularly disposed wall portion of the body and the horizontal leg thereof terminating adjacent its free edge in a downwardly-opening groove, a latch pin mounting block having a vertical opening therethrough fastened to the outside surface of the angularlydisposed wall portion of the lid spaced to one side of the catch, an L-shaped latch pin having the vertical leg thereof mounted within the opening in the block for both reciprocating and rotational movement and its horizontal leg located for movement between a latched position seated within the groove in the catch and a released position turned aside therefrom, and spring means operatively interconnecting the block and vertical leg of the latch pin normally-biasing the horizontal leg thereof upwardly into latched position.

6 6. The shipping container as set forth in claim 5 in which: the latch pin includes a head affixed to the top of the vertical portion, said head being in position to be both depressed and rotated by the users thumb to actuate said latch pin between its latched and released positions when the guardrails are grasped by the fingers.

UNITED STATES PATENTS References Cited 7 Morris et a1. 200-31 WILLIAM T. DIXSON, ]R., Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

